Police, military deny presence
of NPA assassins in Bacolod
Both the police and the military yesterday denied the presence in Bacolod City of suspected New People’s Army members, who are reportedly planning to assassinate PNP officials.
City police director Senior Supt. Ricardo de la Paz said he met with operatives of the Intelligence Branch Tuesday, on this issue and they told him that their monitoring does not show that there is any NPA liquidation squad in the city.
Maj. Enrico Gil Ileto, 3rd Infantry Division spokesman, said their own monitoring also showed that there are no rebel assassins in Bacolod and that there is nothing to worry about, he added.
However, a police source told the DAILY STAR Tuesday that they have been tailing suspected NPA killers for several months now since they received information that rebels are in Bacolod to liquidate police officials and that these rebels are being coddled by civilians, so it is difficult for the police to locate them.
It also said the assassins have been spotted in barangays Bata and Mansilingan in Bacolod City, recently.*APN back
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Two lending
collectors robbed
Three unidentified armed men robbed at gunpoint Tuesday two collectors of a lending firm in Hacienda Balili, Brgy. Gahit, EB Magalona, Negros Occidental, police said.
Victims Erwin Sanchez and Roland Patyag, both collectors of the Micro Finance Asa Philippine Foundation, who were riding a motorcycle in tandem, were waylaid and held up by the three suspects, who were armed with two .38 caliber revolvers and a bladed weapon.
In his report to the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office, Senior Inspector Arnold Mesias, EB Magalona police chief, said the two victims were divested of P9,870 in cash by the suspects who fled on foot towards a sugarcane field.
The three were described by the victims to be wearing long sleeved sweat shirts, maong pants, and camouflage uniforms, with bonnets and Japanese hats.
Senior Inspector Leonardo Cobing, EB Magalona deputy police chief, Thursday said they already have some suspects, whose identities he has withheld, pending presentation of their pictures to the victims for positive identification.
Last week, the police arrested four suspects in Brgy. Alacaygan, EB Magalona, for illegal possession of firearms. One of them was positively identified as involved in the shooting and robbery of a junkshop owner in Victorias City.*GPB back
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5-day peace
torch relay set
A five-day peace torch relay in Negros Occidental, that is expected to be participated in by all local government units, people’s and nongovernment organizations, Department of Education, youth, military and police personnel, will be held Sept. 17 to 21, as one of the highlights of the Peace Consciousness Month celebration.
Capt. Leo Cristopher Cunanan, 303rd Infantry Brigade Civil Military Operations officer, said the peace torch relay will start in San Carlos City in the north, Hinoba-an in the south, and San Carlos City to Don Salvador Benedicto.
It will converge at the Capitol Lagoon in Bacolod City on Sept. 21, for the Light a Candle for Peace ceremony, with Army chief Lt. Gen. Emmanuel Bautista and Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Quintos-Deles among the guests of honor and speakers.
A similar activity was also held last year in Negros Occidental, participated in by about 30,000 Negrenses.
The month-long activities include peace advocacy symposiums and forums, tree planting, sports, feeding programs, coastal cleanup, quiz bee contests, tourism essay writing, youth summit, bloodletting, tour guiding, and “Hataw for Peace”, among others.
Peace advocacy forums were also held at the University of St. La Salle and the Negros Occidental High School in Bacolod City.
The Philippine Coalition for the International Criminal Court also joined the call for peace of the 303rd Infantry Brigade in Negros Occidental.*GPB back
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